User blog:BenComeau/Concertgoing in Tokyo
'Concertgoing in Tokyo' Tokyo is the world's largest metropolis. One perk that comes along with this boastworthy status is having access to an expansive live music scene. Of course, there's no better place than Tokyo to witness your favourite Japanese acts, and as for foreign shows, our selection is generally nothing to complain about. (Unless you're from somewhere like New York, London, or Paris. In part due to the fact that these cities always get all the best shows, and in part due to their residents being seasoned complainers.) In short, this guide will teach you everything you need to know about attending concerts in this fabulous city of ours: from how to find shows and buy your tickets to how early you need to arrive and what you should expect the day of. Before we get into all the nitty gritty details, however, I want to say a brief word about: 'Who Comes to Tokyo' For local and domestic acts, Tokyo has strong noise/noise rock, math rock, post-rock, nu-jazz, punk rock, and metal/hardcore underground scenes. It’s also the premier location to see unique Japanese genres like visual kei, Vocaloid, and video game music, as well as mainstream J-Rock, J-Pop, and idol groups. For international acts, if they perform even a single show in Asia, they will come to Tokyo. Though be aware that some of your favourite artists may only tour in North America and Europe, with the occasional show in Australia or South America. (Seriously, not a single Asian show since 1990, Depeche Mode?) Rest assured, however, that all electronic, metal, and post-rock artists will eventually visit Tokyo, and the vast majority of jazz, R&B, pop (including art pop), prog, shoegaze, experimental, modern classical, and “legacy” rock groups come as well. Recently, there’s also been an increasing number of indie, alternative, and folk groups performing, but some of these you may need to attend a festival to see. The only real inadequacies of the Tokyo music scene are for good hip-hop and innovative jazz. With regards to the former, we get many acts that may blur the line between R&B and hip-hop, but for straight hip-hop, it’s essentially De La Soul annually and the occasional visit of an up-and-coming rapper like Tyler, the Creator or Joey Bada$$. (Which, when they do come, usually sell out within the first day or two of ticket sales.) Other rappers or hip-hop groups may perform at festivals, but these are few and far between. As for jazz, Tokyo still seems locked in the mindset of the big band and hard bop years, so even its concerts by younger jazz performers lean toward “easy listening” territory rather than seeking to challenge or be avant-garde. The jazz shows I’ve seen here certainly weren’t bad persay, but they rarely blow you away: it’s jazz for the aged, not for the youth. 'How to Find Concerts' Your best resource for discovering who’s playing in Tokyo is the Tokyo Gig Guide. While this list is not exhaustive—there are a few notable omissions over the past several years that I’ll never forgive them for—it is pretty expansive, and it includes most concerts by international artists, as well as a wide array of local underground shows. Note that international shows tend to be posted months in advance (and these are also the ones that are more likely to sell out), while local acts don’t usually have their shows posted until a week or two before. It’s a great site for keeping track of who’s coming to town, as well as for finding gigs by more unknown local bands when you’re in the mood to catch a show on any given night. That being said, although the Gig Guide is an amazing resource for local, underground, and most international acts, it often does not include shows by mainstream Japanese artists, nor generally anything in the realm of pop music (other than “art pop”). For these concerts, or for any of your absolute favourite artists from the West, I’d recommend joining a mailing list on their website, or at least checking their tour schedule periodically. Finally, there is a TJET Music Facebook group that I would certainly recommend joining. Doing so can help put you on the front lines for any new concert announcements; plus, you can use it if you would like to find friends with whom to attend such shows : ) 'A Note on Price' Concerts in Japan ain’t cheap. Bear in mind though that international artists had to fly a long way to get here, and they have to recoup the cost of transportation, accommodation, and jetlag through ticket sales to a concert that will likely have a smaller attendance than what they’d get in their home country. On the bright side, for most smaller venues, bands pay the venue a flat rate for renting the space, and so the entire ticket cost is going directly to the artist (and/or promotion company), without the venue taking a percentage cut. So, what should you expect? For indie artists, ¥5000-7000 is reasonable, though prices up to ¥8000 or ¥9000 for more established artists aren’t unusual. For major acts in arenas and large concert halls (e.g. Tokyo Dome, Makuhari Messe, Nippon Budokan, Yokohama Arena, Saitama Super Arena, Tokyo International Forum, etc.), ¥10,000 to ¥12,000 is the norm for the standing area or an average seat. The best seating areas can even go for as high as ¥30,000. So while a $50 concert ticket in North America would seem a tad pricy, in Tokyo, ¥5000 is a steal. 'Buying Tickets (Konbini)' Unlike in the West, where ticket purchases are generally done online or at the venue’s box office, in Japan you can do so right at your local konbini. There are usually three different ticket options: e+ (offered at FamilyMart), L-tike (offered at Lawson Stores—not Lawson 100s), and Pia (at Seven Eleven, Sunkus, and Circle K). If you don’t speak or read Japanese very well, I recommend trying L-tike first. Go to your local Lawson, find the red Loppi machine, and enter your five-digit ticket code (usually listed on the show’s Tokyo Gig Guide page, or on its official website). Then choose your concert day, seat vs. standing area, and number of tickets. Press yes a lot of times (and いいえ once when it asks you if you have a Lawson credit card), before entering your name (in katakana) and phone number. Once you confirm, the machine will print out a long receipt, which you need to sign and take to the cash register within the next 30 minutes. After you do so, and pay cash, the konbini worker will print your tickets for you. Using Pia is a similar process, except you need a six-digit P-code. Note that if you want to buy your ticket from Seven Eleven, they don’t have a dedicated ticketing terminal—you need to use the touch screen connected to the copier. If you can read Japanese adequately, the FamiPort machine at Family Mart will let you buy e+ tickets, but be forewarned that these do not use a numerical code. Sometimes, you can input the artist’s name in romaji; other times, you’ll have to figure it out in katakana. That being said, occasionally I’ve found that when I used e+ rather than L-tike, I wasn’t charged a ~¥100 processing fee, which is always a plus. More information, including video guides to the various ticketing kiosks, can be found at the following web pages: http://www.tokyogigguide.com/en/tickets https://www.japanconcerttickets.com/howto/buying-concert-tickets-japan/#conbini 'Buying Tickets (Online)' Once in a while, shows will offer a digital option in addition to (or instead of) paper tickets. iFlyer and Peatix are two that I’ve used in the past. Simply purchase your ticket using a credit card (some will let you pay at a konbini), and then on the day of the show use their app or log in to your online account on your phone and show the person at the door your QR code. By the way, if you don’t have a smartphone, there’s also an option to print out your QR code. Also, a word of warning: shows that offer online tickets like this do tend to sell out faster, so don’t procrastinate! 'Pre-Ordering Tickets' Sometimes, concerts and festivals will have a regular sales period and a presale period. More often than not, tickets are the same price for both periods, but occasionally—as in the case of Fuji Rock—you can save up to ¥10,000 by reserving your tickets early. When buying during the presale, usually you’ll need to reserve your ticket online, using the e+, Pia, or L-tike website. You can then choose whether you’d like to pay by credit card or pay at a konbini, and also sometimes whether you would like tickets to be mailed to you or picked up at the same konbini. Pro tip: paying and picking up at the konbini almost always incurs fewer service fees. Once you preorder your ticket(s) online, you’ll be given a numerical code which you can then input into a Loppi, Pia, etc. machine. After that, it’s the same process as before: input your name and phone number, print the slip, and pay at the register. If you preorder exceptionally early, however, instead of giving you your tickets, you’ll receive a payment confirmation slip, and you’ll need to return and print your tickets (for free) after a certain date has elapsed. 'Ticket Lotteries' For very popular artists, a presale lottery (抽選) will be held. Within the lottery window (usually a week or less), you will need to visit the official ticket website and enter your first, second, third, etc. choice of which tickets you’re hoping for in which sections. After the lottery period has ended, you’ll receive an e-mail telling you either that you weren’t selected, or that you are being offered one of your choices of tickets. If you are given an offer, you will have three days (I believe) to pay for the tickets, or else you forfeit them. And be aware that for shows this large, there are often several price tiers, so you may not be offered the cheapest or best option. Note that some concerts have two lottery rounds, and others only one. If there are still tickets available after this presale, a regular sales period will commence, but for massively popular artists, the lottery is your only chance to score a ticket. (Off the top of my head, in the last year, Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter are all artists that sold out during the lottery period.) You should also know, however, that using the lottery does incur additional service charges, sometimes as much as ¥1000-2000 extra, so if you’re willing to take the risk of the show selling out, it’s cheaper to wait until the regular sales period begins. 'The Day of the Show' You know how in the West, when a show is supposed to start at 19h00, the artist may not come on until 20h30? (22h if you’re Lauryn Hill or Guns N’ Roses.) Well, if you’re seeing a Japanese artist, expect them in this case to start between 19h and 19h02, and if it’s a foreign artist, before 19h15. There is no dallying in Tokyo. Also, there is frequently no opening band, so don’t arrive late. For particularly busy shows, you may be granted entry in order of your ticket number. For this reason, it’s always better to purchase your ticket earlier rather than later—you’ll get a lower number, which will get you into the venue sooner, which means not only less shuffling of your feet outdoors but also the possibility of claiming a better spot before the crowd arrives. That being said, since I’m highly impatient, I usually try to arrive 30 minutes before the showtime (開演), and I rarely have trouble finding a spot in roughly the front-middle of the crowd. The one major difference from the West of which you should be aware is that the venue will usually exact a mandatory ¥500 “drink ticket” charge from you upon your arrival. (This is true of pretty much all small- and mid-sized venues; large arenas will usually let you in without it.) You need to pay for this drink ticket in cash, so be sure to bring enough to cover it (they can make change, if need be). You will receive a token or ticket that can be exchanged at the bar for a free drink from among the venue’s “drink ticket menu”, which generally includes beer, “sour” mixed drinks, and soft drinks. Above I mentioned that most Japanese venues don’t take a percentage cut from the ticket sales, so drink ticket charges are their way of ensuring that they turn a profit. Last, be aware that most venues have a coin locker area where you can stow your bag and coat for a few hundred yen, but if you do choose to use this feature, try to sneak your way to the door before the encore ends: the locker area gets swamped immediately after the show. 'Be Polite to Your Fellow Concertgoers' This should go without saying, but don’t be rowdy, don’t talk during the show, don’t wear enormous headgear or use an umbrella if you’re at a rainy concert outdoors, don’t hold up your phone to record for an excessively long time, don’t clap during the quiet parts, don’t rummage around in crinkly plastic bags, don’t stand in front of short people if you’re tall, don’t drink too much and bump into your neighbours, and just try to be considerate of those around you. You are an ambassador of gaijin''dom, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen foreigners doing distracting and inconsiderate things during concerts in Japan. Just because no one might call you out on your behaviour doesn’t mean that they don’t find it irritating. 'Music Festivals' Of all the Japanese music festivals, Fuji Rock is the one not to be missed, but I’ll provide you with a more dedicated guide catering exclusively to that when the time approaches. In the meantime, here is a list of some festivals you may want to check out during your time as a Tokyo JET: *'Hostess Club Weekender. Every February, and occasionally held in June and/or November as well. Small two-day indie festival in Tokyo, usually comprising an international headliner and smaller Japanese acts. Recent headliners include the Pixies, Belle and Sebastian, Caribou, Daughter, the Lemon Twigs, Bloc Party, St. Vincent, and Thurston Moore. *'Punkspring. '''Every March or April. One-day punk rock festival in Chiba. Recent headliners include the Offspring, Bad Religion, NOFX, Sum 41, Simple Plan, the Misfits, Rancid, and Fall Out Boy. *'Popspring. 'Every March or April. Since 2016, one-day contemporary pop festival that is held in Chiba the day before or after Punkspring. Recent headliners include Fifth Harmony, Shawn Mendes, Austin Mahone, Pentatonix, and Carly Rae Jepsen. *'Vans Warped Tour Japan. '31 March/1 April 2018. One-time festival being held in Chiba. Currently announced headliners include Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Prophets of Rage. *'Synchronicity/After Hours. 'Every April in Tokyo. Synchronicity and After Hours are separate one-day independent music festivals featuring exclusively Japanese artists (most from Tokyo), taking place over one weekend in April. Synchronicity is powered entirely by green energy; After Hours is an offshoot of Synchronicity curated by the bands MONO, downy, and envy. Synchronicity features “lighter” artists like Ogre You Asshole, yahyel, Zazen Boys, Yogee New Waves, Bo Ningen, SOIL & “PIMP” SESSIONS, Shibusa Shirazu Orchestra, Suiyoubi no Campanella, and Shugo Tokumaru; After Hours features “heavier” acts like MONO, downy, envy, toe, LITE, mouse on the keys, the Novembers, DJ Krush, and Boris. *'Viva La Rock. 'Every May. J-Rock festival in Saitama. Recent headliners include Sakanaction, UVERworld, Ken Yokoyama, Dragon Ash, Alexandros, Boom Boom Satellites, and Fishmans. *'EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival) Japan. 12-13 May 2018. Originating in Los Angeles in the early 90s, EDC has since expanded from Southern California field raves to an enormous EDM festival held in cities across the USA, Mexico, the UK, Brazil, Japan, and India. The first Tokyo EDC was in July 2016, and last year’s headliners included Armin van Buuren, Fatboy Slim, Sander van Doorn, Martin Garrix, Knife Party, Yellow Claw, Afrojack, and Axwell Λ Ingrosso. *'Greenroom Festival'. Every May. Surf-themed art and music festival in Yokohama. Recent headliners include the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Tortoise, the New Mastersounds, and SOIL & “PIMP” SESSIONS. *'TAICOCLUB'.' '''Every May or June. 18-hour-long all-night outdoor festival in Nagano. Music tends to be electronic or dancy, with a mix of Japanese and foreign artists that are critically lauded but not exceptionally popular. Recent performers include Oneohtrix Point Never, Battles, Tycho, yahyel, Suiyoubi no Campanella, Sakanaction, Arca, Dan Deacon, Boredoms, Panda Bear, Jon Hopkins, the Black Dog, Thurston Moore, Tim Hecker, and Venetian Snares. *'Fuji Rock.' Every July. Massive three-day “rock” festival in Niigata, set amid gorgeous mountains and breathtaking forest scenery. Recent headliners include Gorillaz, Björk, Aphex Twin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sigur Rós, Queens of the Stone Age, LCD Soundsystem, Muse, and Arcade Fire. *'Rock in Japan. Every August in Ibaraki. The largest music festival in Japan, featuring mostly J-Rock and J-Pop artists, and held over two weekends. Recent headliners include Radwimps, Sakanaction, B’z, Bump of Chicken, the Yellow Monkey, ONE OK ROCK, and Asian Kung-Fu Generation. *'''Sonic Mania. Every August, the Friday night before Summer Sonic. All-night electronic- and dance-focused festival in Chiba, with a few alternative rock groups thrown in. Recent headliners include Orbital, the Prodigy, Kraftwerk, Justice, Shobaleader One (Squarepusher), Kasabian, and Marilyn Manson. *'Summer Sonic. '''Every August, in Chiba. A hodgepodge of different popular artists, ranging from rock and pop to electronic and metal. Note that there are four major stages, so many artists play at the same time. Recent headliners include Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Calvin Harris, the Black Eyed Peas, the Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Arctic Monkeys, and Queen. *'Hostess Club All-Nighter. Every August, the Saturday night during Summer Sonic. All-night indie-, alternative-, and electronic-leaning festival in Chiba. Cheaper than Summer Sonic, with usually much tighter lineups. Recent headliners include Animal Collective, Mogwai, Thom Yorke, St. Vincent, Dinosaur Jr, Jon Hopkins, Deerhunter, and Spiritualized. *'Ultra Japan. '''Every September. Electronic dance festival in Odaiba. Recent headliners include Tiësto, Deadmau5, Armin van Buuren, Underworld, Pendulum, Alesso, Skrillex, and David Guetta. *'Blue Note Jazz Festival. 'Every September. Jazz festival in Yokohama. Recent headliners include Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny, Donald Fagen, Earth Wind & Wire, Kamasi Washington, Lianne La Havas, and the Robert Glasper Trio. *'Soul Camp. 'Every September or October. Hip-hop festival held alternately in Tokyo and Yokohama. Recent headliners include De La Soul, Erykah Badu, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Nelly, the Jungle Brothers, Lauryn Hill, Common, and Black Star (Mos Def and Talib Kweli). *'Asagiri Jam. 'Every October. Often referred to as the “real Fuji Rock”, it’s a two-day camping festival near the base of Mt. Fuji (in Shizuoka) that’s more similar in vibe to Burning Man than to a traditional music festival. Recent headliners include Belle and Sebastian, Suchmos, Theo Parrish, Todd Terje, Kurt Vile, Digital Mystikz, !!!, and G. Love & Special Sauce. *'Loud Park. 'Every October. Heavy metal festival in Saitama. Recent headliners include Slayer, Scorpions, Whitesnake, Megadeth, Dream Theater, DragonForce, Opeth, and Alice Cooper. *'Montreux Jazz Festival Japan. 'Every October or November. Jazz festival in Ebisu. Recent headliners include Pharoah Sanders, Jun Miyake, the Matthew Herbert Big Band, Caetano Veloso, Gilles Peterson, David Sanborn, and John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension. *'MUTEK.JP. Every November. Electronic music and digital arts festival, begun in Montréal, expanded to Mexico and South America over a decade ago, and brought to Tokyo starting in 2016. Recent headliners include James Holden, Max Cooper, Nosaj Thing, Monolake, Alva Noto, De De Mouse, and Hifana. *'Countdown Japan.' Every December 28-31. Performances of major Japanese artists in Chiba, leading up to the new year. Recent headliners include Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Radwimps, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Sakanaction, MUCC, Scandal, and Babymetal. 'Other Questions?' Post on the TJET Music page, and I'm sure someone will help you in a jiffy! Category:Blog posts